. >> a government fractured, a market paralyze. a call to action our markets careen towards the sharp edge of the fiscal cliff. we've is asked our politicians to seem compromise and find a solution. the clock is ticking down. the stakes are getting higher. now we're turning up the pressure. this is a cnbc special report, "mission critical, rise above d.c." >> and we do welcome you to "closing bell." i'm bill griffith here at the new york stock exchange. hey, maria. >> hey there, bill. big rally where you are. i'm bartiromo coming today from the white house for our special coverage. stocks rallying on the on the missile that perhaps we are nearing a fiscal cliff deal. coming up we'll, find out from key lawmakers in the fiscal cliff negotiations how we can actually get a deal done before the deadline. representative chris van hollen, lynn jenkins and javier becerra as well as sore orrin hatch with us. we'll hear from former treasury secretary altman and jeff greenfield. bill? >> stocks are trading off the highs of the day with less t